In blogging communities, trust is usually built on the basis of the reliability and validity of the information posted. Users’ beliefs about the trustworthiness of information and knowledge, which they obtain through other blog pages, also induce them to share their own knowledge.

Informational trust is defined as a user’s beliefs about the reliability, credibility, and accuracy of information gathered through the Web. Users’ belief about the trustworthiness of the information and knowledge gleaned from a blog site is a critical factor in persuading users to provide their information on the Web site.